Sustainable Raritan Summit

The Raritan River Basin is the largest river within the State of New Jersey, supplying water, recreation, transportation, and quality of life benefits for over one million residents in seven countries.

The 1972 Clean Water Act called for eliminating water pollution by 1985--this clearly has not yet been achieved in the Raritan River. Efforts to achieve continued environmental improvements in the Raritan River Watershed are currently being undertaken by diverse entities that include Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the regulatory community, elected officials, and academic researchers.

To enhance these ongoing efforts to improve environmental quality, to determine possible opportunities for collaboration, and to identify future needs and existing data gaps, a symposium is being held on May 15, 2009. This event is being hosted by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, and will provide an opportunity for interested stakeholders to discuss the current state of the watershed and to agree as to the next steps needed to ultimately attain the objectives of the Clean Water Act for the Raritan River.